Description The words of Thich Nhat Hanh remind us that we can see each moment for the beauty t offers. 'Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity.' From Plum Village.org:One of the best known and most respected Zen masters in the world today, poet, and peace and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh (called Thy by his students) has led an extraordinary life. Born in central Vietnam in 1926 he joined the monkshood at the age of sixteen. The Vietnam War confronted the monasteries with the question of whether to adhere to the contemplative life and remain meditating in the monasteries, or to help the villagers suffering under bombings and other devastation of the war. Nhat Hanh was one of those who chose to do both, helping to found the engaged Buddhism movement. His life has since been dedicated to the work of inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.Thich Nhat Hanh's key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Dwelling in the present moment is, according to Nhat Hanh, the only way to truly develop peace, both in one's self and in the world.

Don Schwartz, Portland, OregonMember Since September 2012Artist Statement Photography is for me a dance with nature. It is the immersion in a landscape; the sharing of a habitat with nature’s creatures. It is the sense of being lost in the moment, where the passing of time goes unnoticed. It is the serendipity of capturing a moment in time that becomes a timeless moment. The quiet places, the places of simple beauty, draw me in – from the delicate splendor of dew dancing on an iris petal to the magnificent breadth of a gray whale slicing through the water. With my camera, I am a blessed witness in a field of splendor.

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